Invenios, an advanced technology micro-fabrication foundry specializing in microfluidics, MEMS, and 3D microstructures announced the addition of silicon and metal substrates to the range of materials utilizing the firm's innovative Ambient Temperature Bonding (ABT) micro-system production process for the permanent bonding of substrates, such as silicon-to-glass, metal-to-glass, and glass-to-glass at room temperatures without the use of electrostatics, heat or adhesives.

The company's technology is a generational leap from current substrate bonding solutions. This technology enables Invenios to permanently encase a micro-system at room temperature avoiding the undesirable side effects and restrictions of other micro bonding techniques such as Anodic Bonding, Diffusion Bonding and Adhesive Bonding. The unwanted and damaging side effects of these other bonding methods include ion propagation to the glass surface, warping, loss of clarity, adhesive contamination and heat damage to the specimen, or the exclusion of encapsulated media, like biological agents of functional fluids (as used in liquid lenses), none of which occur with the new technology from Invenios.

Invenios' cost-effective Ambient Temperature Bonding (ABT) method employs, but is not restricted to, the company's photo-structurable, optical-quality glass, multiple substrates, and advanced laser technology to create optically clear micro-fluidic devices without the use of electrostatic charges, heat or adhesives. High aspect ratio micro-system structures can be easily created in complete electrical, mechanical or biological functionalized systems without fear of damaging or contaminating the specimen or other contents.

Because the bonding occurs at room temperature, many new applications for sealed micro-systems are now possible. For example, optically clear glass can be bonded to silicon, metal and plastic substrates for lower cost sealed systems without sacrificing specimen visibility. Better and more precise chemistry and biologic results in micro-fluidic research can be obtained because devices for medical and biological applications can be preloaded prior to bonding thereby assuring specimen purity and integrity. Even industrial applications such as solar panels, currently sealed with adhesives that break down in the sunlight, will have unrestricted life span using the permanent bond that results from the Invenios technology.

According to the firm's President and CEO, Raymond Karam, "Our Ambient Temperature Bonding technology will impact many industries from medical research to electronics to alternative energy. We are creating new applications while we drive down the cost of high-precision micro-manufacturing." He added, "Invenios is creating a paradigm shift towards rapid production of integrated solutions for abroad range of applications including micro-replication, micro-robotics, MOEMS and microfluidics."

The company has developed state-of-the-art laser machining capabilities dedicated to the micro-structuring of a variety of materials used in semiconductor and MEMS fabrication. Eliminating virtually all of the damaging side effects of current bonding procedures, Ambient Temperature Bonding technology leverages the unique properties of optical quality Foturan™ photo-structurable glass in tandem with other substrates to produce high quality, robust and inert sealed micro-systems.

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